The pranks of capricious and playful Cupid, the son of Venus, the goddess of love, can bring both suffering and delight to mortals and gods of Olympus alike. No one can escape his arrows, and artists down through the ages have been unable to resist the temptation to depict scenes of coquetry, tormenting longing and desperate passion. In the Hermitage collection love stories caused by the antics of this naughty fair-haired boy are depicted in a whole range of works of art - Greek vases, paintings, engravings, bas-reliefs and sculptures. 220 colour illustrations